Karnataka Cabinet clears notification on complete plastic ban

Bengaluru, Mar 4: The State Cabinet on Thursday cleared a final notification to ban the manufacture and use of various kinds of plastic items including carry bags, banners, buntings, flags, flexes, plates, thermocol cups, spreading sheets, among others, irrespective of their thickness.

The ban will come into effect once the notification is gazetted. The Cabinet, however, has not fixed a timeframe to gazette the notification, sources said. There was no official briefing after the cabinet meeting as the legislature is in session.

The Forest, Ecology and Environment Department in October 2015, had issued a draft notification to ban manufacture, supply, storage, transportation, sales, distribution and use of nearly a dozen kinds of plastic items. Products made out of thermocol and microbeads are also included in the list. The department had called for objections and suggestions from the public within 30 days.

The department received as many as 1,600 objections and suggestions. According to officials in the department most of the objections were plastic manufacturers and traders associations who felt that the plastic ban was not practical. Moreover, it would hit the livelihood of thousands of persons and their families working in the plastic industry. The traders in their objections had also pointed out that hundreds of them had availed loans to start work in the plastic industry and that they would go bankrupt if the ban is put in place.

The Cabinet, on Thursday, approved the final notification that seeks to impose the ban under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act. Sources said that no major changes have been made in the final notification.

According to the notification, top administrative officials in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, deputy commissioners of districts, health officers, members of local bodies in the State, assistant commissioners, tahsildars in taluks, environmental officers of the Karnataka State Pollution?Control Board, officers of the Commercial?Taxes Department and Food and Civil Supplies Department will be conferred with the power to enforce the ban.

Legal action would be initiated against those who violate the ban and cases booked in the jurisdictional court of law as per section 19 of the Environment (Protection)?Act, 1986.

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after banning the plastic govt is providing its own plastic that is also costing more than previous, now totally ban will force people to buy other materiel bags that will be costing more than vegetables we are carrying.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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